Central & East European Studies/English Literature
Central and East European Studies and English Literature is a combination that brings together one of the most intellectually and historically rich regional studies available with the close analytical study of literature in English. The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have witnessed dramatic changes in Central and Eastern Europe: war, revolution, the rise and fall of communist regimes, and the subsequent transformations of societies from the Baltic to the Balkans. These developments continue to reverberate today in the rise of populism, the Russo-Ukrainian war and instability across the region.
Understanding this part of the world requires both deep regional knowledge and the analytical tools that literary study provides.
At the University of Glasgow this four-year full-time degree provides a thorough grounding in the history, politics, culture and languages of Central and Eastern Europe alongside a rigorous English literature education. You will engage with key issues across a crucial area stretching from Berlin to Vladivostok, drawing on Glasgow's particular expertise in the region and developing your capacity for cross-cultural analysis alongside your skills in literary criticism and interpretation. The degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to develop your regional studies in an international context.
Graduates from Central and East European Studies and English Literature degrees go on to careers in journalism, policy research, diplomacy, international organisations, translation, publishing, cultural institutions, education and government. The combination of regional expertise, literary analytical skills and cross-cultural understanding is particularly valuable in contexts where engagement with Central and Eastern European societies, politics and cultures is relevant. Postgraduate study in area studies, European politics, comparative literature, translation or international relations is a natural continuation for those pursuing academic or specialist professional careers.